Comments on: Plane Ticket Reservation

Question: Plane Ticket Reservation

yoyo_nyc — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:05:16 -0800

Best way to reserve an international flight?

What is the best way to reserve an international flight? I want to do a reservation in advance that I might actually cancel. I saw that plane tickets that are reimbursable are quite expensive.

Any suggestions?

By: k8t

k8t — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:19:30 -0800

Where from and to?

By: yoyo_nyc

yoyo_nyc — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:21:52 -0800

NYC -> South America

By: k8t

k8t — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:24:19 -0800

Soooo many other factors: is cost an issue? Which South American country? Do you have any special affiliations/plans with any airline?

By: nikkorizz

nikkorizz — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:25:30 -0800

There might be a small insurance fee you can pay during your initial purchase that can lessen the financial burden of rescheduling or canceling flights. I typically see offers like these at online airline search engines, like Travelocity and Orbitz.

By: yoyo_nyc

yoyo_nyc — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:28:57 -0800

>Soooo many other factors: is cost an issue?
YES!

>Which South American country?
Paraguay

> Do you have any special affiliations/plans with any airline?
No

By: grouse

grouse — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:35:34 -0800

How long before the trip will you know for sure that you are going? Fully refundable tickets are very pricey.

By: yoyo_nyc

yoyo_nyc — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:44:13 -0800

How would you reserve a ticket one month in ahead and decide one week before take off?

By: grouse

grouse — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:50:52 -0800

I wouldn't. Tickets a week out are likely to be pricey, but not as pricey as refundable tickets, which usually are the same cost up to a few days before the flight. Check out the nonrefundable prices for a week from today versus the price of a refundable ticket.

As for where to look, I would check ITA, Kayak, and Sidestep.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:52:59 -0800

This is one of the situations where a travel agent can still come in handy. No doubt there are many in the NYC area that specialize in flights to S. America and can locate refundable fares that are cheaper than what would be listed on a carrier's website. You're still going to pay more than the non-refundable fares, but maybe not quite so much more.

By: halogen

halogen — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:08:07 -0800

Actually, I've bought non-refundable tickets ahead and then changed my mind about the dates a number of times, but you don't end up saving any money by any means--there's the reservation change fee (I've paid anywhere from $50 on Alaska Airlines to $300 for a United flight to Australia just to switch dates), and then you have to add to that he the difference in price for what you've already paid and how much the ticket you want costs currently.

It would make sense for you to buy a non-refundable ticket now with the option of having to pay to change your dates later even if you are not completely certain, but at least pretty sure that the dates you picked at first will suit you. Chances are that you'll end up saving money by having bough the ticket ahead (I do, more than 90% of the time).

Also, if you are a student, I've gotten some pretty good deals through StudentUniverse.com, and they'll waive the change fee if you're really, really nice to them. It appears, however, that only TAM lines fly to Asuncion in Paraguay, and you can expect to spend no less than $1300 depending on your dates.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:38:04 -0800

American, Northwest and Air Canada also give future-credit for canceled flights (minus some $50-100 fee), so even if you cancel you can often use that money again later. Same person flying, same airline, and a time limit.... but the money is not necessarily "lost". Ask.

By: TheOtherGuy

TheOtherGuy — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:40:56 -0800

I know Qantas (which, given where you want to go, might be no help to you), can allow you to reserve a ticket for like $50 for a flight some time in the future, with the balance due closer to the departure day.

If you cancel, you lose your $50. Which is better than the hundreds you can lose cancelling a long haul flight.

I used this system to pay for a flight from Australia to the UK.

I don't know if any airlines in North America do the same, but with Qantas being a fairly major player in the industry it is likely that you might find a similar scheme.

By: Gor-ella

Gor-ella — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:15:10 -0800

The safest thing to do is to go with a Travel Agent. The ticket price may be higher, but if you seriously think you may have to change your dates or get a refund, it will save money in the long run. Also a Travel Agent can set you up with Travel insurance, as you will be flying to a foreign country.